Okamiden Goku
by SpiritVegeta
Summary: 9 months after Vegeta's battle with Yami, a new evil threatens the land of Nippon and the world. But a new generation steps forth to battle the evil and restore the land! This is the tale of the Child of the Sun! His name... Is Goku! Act 1 done.
1. Prologue

The sequel to Okami Vegeta is here!

* * *

**Prologue**

This tale is one full of the hopes and dreams, courage and faith of all those within it. It's a tale of events that occurred long, long ago. A boundless evil known as Orochi descended from the heavens and enveloped the land in sorrow and despair. Fire, darkness, wind, water, lightning, light, poison, and earth: The 8 heads of Orochi sent out evil spirits among the people, and only in death could they find an end to their suffering. But then the saiyan god, Amaterasu, appeared! During the battle, she called upon the power of the sun. This allowed Nagi to raise his sword, Tsukuyomi, against Orochi. Together, man and god, they faced this great evil. The battle was both perilous and exhausting. But by its end, all 8 of Orochi's vile heads had been cut off. The people of the land rejoiced at the end of Orochi's dark reign, and they praised the great god who had given her life to save them... However, Orochi's demise did not spell the end of all evil...

100 years later...

The once-defeated Orochi returned to terrorize the people. The evil spirits also spread across the land anew. Two new heroes arose to stop the threat posed by Orochi: Vegeta, the Prince of All Saiyans and Amaterasu's son, and Susano, a distant descendant of the mighty Nagi. This new duo fought valiantly against their terrible foe, and eventually they triumphed over Orochi. Despite the victory, evil spirits still haunted much of the land. Vegeta fought valiantly against each of these evil spirits, but grew weaker with each battle. When it seemed as if these spirits were on the cusp of victory, the prayers of the people rejuvenated the weakened Vegeta, and he was able to thoroughly erase the darkness from the land. Thus, peace was restored, and Vegeta left for the heavens.

But only 3 months later, tragedy struck Vegeta's friends and family...

The Dragon Balls, 7 magical stones that when brought together summon a dragon that'll grant any wish, had been tainted by the evil and darkness. These magical orbs split and unleashed 7 dragons born from the evil. Goku, earth's greatest warrior, had been wished back into a child again. Although he fought as hard as he could and defeated the ultimate dragon, Omega Shenron, he was the only one to survive out of all of Vegeta's friends and family. Upon hearing about the tragedy, the great saiyan god came and took Goku with him to the heavens.

It has been 6 months since that day...

A swirling darkness loomed over a shrined grave in North Ryoshima Coast. The grave suddenly roared and the darkness above grew denser. The evil then enveloped the grave and destroyed the shrine. An evil spirit hovered over the destroyed shine and coated the grave with evil energy. 4 dark spirits suddenly arose from the grave and spread out across the land of Nippon, and the sky grew dark with evil. The foul cloud of darkness spread across the land, enveloping everything. Sei-an City. Ryoshima Coast. Agata Forest. And Shinshu Field.

But our story starts in Yakushi Village, a small little village nestled deep within a hidden valley between Kamiki Village and Shinshu Field...


	2. The Mysterious Boy: Act 1 Part 1

**The Mysterious Boy**

Yakushi Village is still new to the world. Only a handful of people live here at the moment. But somehow, Issun, the Poncle who accompanied Vegeta on his journey across Nippon and now the 7th Celestial Envoy, had found his way to the new village as he continued to distribute his artwork of Vegeta to keep the faith strong.

Issun: "Come one, come all! Get your great god Vegeta paintings! All of the are hand-drawn with love by yours truly! Stick them up on your house to purify your dwelling of evil! Put them under your pillow to ward off bad dreams! Keep one in your money bag and watch your wealth increase! No family should be without one! Or two! Or ten! The more the merrier, so how about it!? Why not pick one up today?"

Issun's latest drawing was that of Vegeta as he stood bravely and confident before Orochi with the moon eliminating him against the monstrous demon and its darkness. Only a little girl came up to Issun.

Issun: "Man... All that effort and I only managed to attract one person? Hey, little girl, what's your name?"

?: "Ayame."

Issun: "Well, Ayame, how would you like a painting? It's on the house."

Issun gave Ayame a painting. When she looked at it, her heart swelled with joy.

Issun: "You know, I can't believe how quickly people lose faith. I mean, is 9 months of peace all it takes for humans to forget? But then, no one ever said it'd be easy to be a Celestial Envoy."

Ayame: "What's a 'Celestial Envoy'?"

Issun: "Seriously...? You don't know what a Celestial Envoy is...? An Envoy is an artist who preaches about a god through pictures."

Ayame: "Oh, so that's why you draw the Great God Vegeta, right?"

Issun: "Yep, that's right! But as people forget them, the gods begin to lose their power."

Ayame: "So where is the Great God Vegeta now?"

Issun: "Geta? Well, he's up on the Celestial Plain in Heaven."

Ayame: "But I thought the Celestial Plain was destroyed long ago."

Issun: "Well, he went there to revive it to its former glory. I was thinking about paying the place a visit someday. I mean, without me, Geta's probably just constantly napping or eating."

Ayame: "I see. Well, good luck getting there. And thank you for the picture."

Ayame innocently walked off.

Issun: "Thanks for the well-wishes, but the Celestial Plain isn't someplace you can visit just because you feel like it. Well, no sense in dwelling on it. Think I'll take a break before I get goin' again."

And Issun laid down and just stared up at the sun and sky. As he did, he imagined an image of Vegeta looking down at him from the sun with a smile.

Issun: "Aah... Such is an Envoy's life. I wonder how Geta's doing...?"

But poor Issun soon had something else on his mind. A child version of a Green Imp blocked out the sun with its head as it looked down at the Poncle! Issun suddenly got up with a yell only to discover that there were TWO young Green Imps!

Issun: "Eeeyaah! What the heck!? Demons!? Here!?"

The two young Green Imps danced around Issun. It was obvious that they were going to attack!

Issun: "I thought Geta took care of the lot of you already!? So where did you come from!?"

Poor Issun was trapped! But just before the young Green Imps could do anything...

Issun: "Aaaaah!"

The Poncle was suddenly snatched up and whisked away to safety! The young demons looked around, confused as to what happened to the Poncle. They found Issun not far from them... And he was not alone!

Issun: "Y-You're...!"

?: "I got ya, Issun!"

Issun had been saved by a little boy who stood before the demons growling and huffing. He was itching for a fight!

Issun: "I have no clue what's going on here, but you'd better beat these guys first!"

And then Issun noticed that the kid had a Divine Instrument too.

Issun: "Hold up... You've got the same Divine Instrument as Geta! It's not just for looking pretty, you know. Got it?"

?: "Got it!"

Issun: "Good! Let's tear it up!"

The boy charged at the Imps! As the boy swung the Divine Instrument at the Imps, Issun noticed that this kid was on all fours and had a tail like Vegeta did. The kid even had the same crimson markings. But it wasn't Vegeta, so was this kid? Just as Issun snapped out of his daze, the battle was over. The kid had defeated the two young Green Imps quickly. Once everything had settled, Issun just stood in front of the boy and looked at him.

Issun: "Wow! Just like a kid to get rid of those demons in the blink of an eye! And unless my eyes are playing tricks on me..."

Issun knew he has seen someone like this kid before. He reminded him of Goku, Vegeta's pure saiyan friend. But Goku was an adult.

Issun: "... you're the spitting image of Goku."

But before any more could be said, the sky suddenly darkened!

Issun: "Wh-Wh-Whoa! Why's it so dark all of a sudden!?"

It was deja-vu all over again.

Issun: "I've got a really, really bad feeling about this. If Geta were here, he'd climb to the highest platform and call the sun back with a swish-swish of his tail..."

And just like that, the mysterious kid ran off to the highest point in Yakushi Village!

Issun: "Hey! Where do ya think you're going!?"

Issun hurried off to catch up with the boy. He found the kid standing at the edge of a cliff high above the village. The kid seemed to be trying to bring the sun back.

Issun: "Don't tell me you think you can imitate Geta's brush skills..."

?: "Sure I can!"

Issun: "OK, OK! If you want to give it a try that badly, be my guest. Just draw a circle in the sky. Simple as that. Well, let's see what you've got. Go on and draw a circle."

The boy called up a scroll like Vegeta used to and drew a circle in the sky. Once he was done, both Issun and the mysterious kid looked at the sky. Right before his eyes, Issun watched as the sun appeared right where the kid had drawn the circle! The sky returned to its beautiful blue color. Just who was this kid!?

Issun: "Hey! J-Just who are you anyway, kid?"

The boy smiled and laughed.

?: "Ha ha ha! Issun, it's me! Goku!"

Issun: "Goku? How could you keep something like that from me!? That's the kind of stuff you're supposed to tell me FIRST! But I figured it out, so it's OK. After all, only the great Sun God himself can use Sunrise at will!"

And then Issun caught himself.

Issun: "Wait, hold on! Goku!? You were an adult last time I saw you. What happened!? Why are you a kid again!?"

Goku: "Well... It's kinda a long story Issun..."

And so Goku told Issun everything. About how he had been turned back into a child and how everyone lost their lives trying to stop Omega Shenron. And he finally got to the part involving Vegeta.

Goku: "So Vegeta took me back with him to the Celestial Plain. After a month there, I started walking around on all fours like him and developed the same red markings too. Only a month ago, we discovered that I now have the Sunrise power too!"

Issun: "So Geta's now kinda your adopted daddy, huh."

Goku: "Heh yeah, I guess you can say that. So what're you doing here, Issun? Goofing off?"

Issun: "Hey! A Celestial Envoy is a pretty important person!"

Goku just yawned.

Issun: "It's nothing to yawn at, I'll have you know!"

This only reminded Issun of Vegeta.

Issun: "Hmph. That aloof attitude... you're just like Geta, alright. Anyway, what I want to know is why the demons are back. Geta took care of them so they should be on the Celestial Plain..."

Goku: "All I know is that Vegeta's had a bad feeling lately and then I was sent here."

Issun pondered for a moment. And then he had it!

Issun: "Ooh, I've got it! We need Miss Sakuya! If anyone knows what's going on around here, Miss Sakuya will! Sorry, Goku, we're gonna have to save the chit-chat for later! Right now, we've gotta make tracks for Kamiki Village!"

Goku: "Right!"

Issun hopped onto Goku's back and they headed off! As they made their way down the path, they ran into the little girl, Ayame, again.

Ayame: "Ooh! A little boy! He's so cute."

To Ayame, Goku just looked like an ordinary boy. She couldn't see his crimson markings, just like how many couldn't see Vegeta's markings.

Issun: "You hear that, Goku? She can't see your markings. Then again, I guess most humans can't..."

Ayame: "Markings? Where?"

Issun: "Uh... Yeah, that's right, little girl. Take good care of that picture I gave you, OK?"

Ayame: "Sure thing! Thank you!"

Goku: "Bye!"

And Goku cheerfully headed off again. Many parts of Yakushi Village were accessible only by bridges which were still being built in some areas. In fact, the place was so new, that only 6 people lived there. They took a detour and stopped to chat to a man with a red beard standing at the center of the village.

?: "I saw the sky darken and ran here to check on my herbs. Never thought I would find a little boy waiting for me. How curious!"

Like Ayame, he couldn't see Goku's stripes either.

Issun: "I guess this old man can't see your stripes either."

?: "Old man!? Do you know who I am, sonny?"

Goku: "No. Who are you?"

Dr. Redbeard: "I'm Dr. Redbeard, the founder of Yakushi Village! I provide medical herbs to all who need 'em! And I ain't no quack either, you hear?"

Dr. Redbeard then pointed to a house with a gourd on its roof just above them.

Dr. Redbeard: "If you want to hear more, then swing on by to my place."

And Dr. Redbeard headed for his house. It wasn't far. Just a walk up a single set of stairs.

Issun: "Hey, Goku? Wanna take a little detour and see what he's got to say?"

Goku: "I want to but we really should go see Sakuya first."

Issun: "Yeah, you're right. Let's head to Kamiki Village!"

With Issun's guidance, Goku found the exit. But before they left, they had a little chat with an old man who's head was shaped like a gourd.

Old Man: "Dr. Redbeard and I go way back. He asked me to come be the leader of this rag-tag town. Too bad there's not enough people here to actually lead. I really wanted to make this a really big but cohesive community."

Goku: "Hey! Maybe I can help! I know I'll be meeting a lot of people!"

Old Man: "Hmm... OK! If you find anyone who might want to move here, give them this map."

The old man handed Goku a map that showed where and how to get to Yakushi Village.

Issun: "No sweat! We can do that! You hear that, Goku?"

Goku: "Yeah. Show this map to anyone who might be interested in moving here. I got it!"

Issun: "Good. Oh, and Goku?"

Goku: "Yeah?"

Issun: "Don't lose the map!"

Goku: "Heh heh, I won't!"

And they headed through the tunnel that served as the village's entrance. The only thing now is that there is a small drop from the entrance to Yakushi Village to the connecting road. It wasn't really that big of a drop, but to Goku and Issun, it was.

Issun: "This is pretty high up... Jump down and you won't be able to go back to Yakushi Village for awhile."

Goku: "I know."

Issun: "Alright then, come on! Let's get going! Sakuya is waiting!"

Goku jumped down and headed for Shinshu Field. But they were greeted by a sad scene.


	3. A New Generation: Act 1 Part 2

**A New Generation**

Shinshu Field's sky was dark and eerie. Something was defiantly going on!

Issun: "Hey now... I don't like the looks of those clouds. It must be all those demons running amok that's causing this. I bet you're thinking the same thing, Goku. We'll worry about the clouds later. We gotta find Miss Sakuya first!"

Goku: "Right!"

And Goku quickly headed for the all too familiar little settlement known as Kamiki Village. The village has not changed at all in the last nine months. Everything was just how Goku remembered it.

Issun: "Doesn't look like there are any evil spirits hanging around here. C'mon, let's go find Miss Sakuya!"

And Goku knew just where to look. The sacred tree Konohana. But he stopped in front of Susano's house because the village elder Mr. Orange was there.

Mr. Orange: "Hmm? I-It's a f-four-legged man! ... Were you there when Nagi defeated the evil Orochi? Ohh! It's the legendary Shiranui!"

Goku couldn't help but laugh.

Issun: "You know you said the same thing when you met Geta? Well, I guess the two of them do look like Shiranui. I guess..."

Goku suddenly thought back to when he helped Vegeta 9 months ago. They saw Amaterasu, who had been dubbed Shiranui back in the day and thought to have been a man, twice. Although she resembled Vegeta a lot, there was some tiny resemblance of Goku in her too. Especially now that he was next in line to be the Sun God.

Mr. Orange: "... Wait, but Shiranui wasn't this small, was he? I think what we have here is just a little boy."

Issun: "Ha-ha-ha! He called you a little boy!"

Goku: "But I am a little boy."

Issun: "Eh... Oh right. Anyway, I guess regular folks can't see your special stripes, eh?"

Mr. Orange: "Come around my house anytime you want. My wife will make you some food that'll knock your tail off. How does that sound?"

Goku: "Food!? I'm there!"

Issun: "No time for that, Chibi. We got places to go!"

Goku: "Aw, but I'm hungry! Wait, Chibi?"

Issun: "You're little, and I knew you when you were an adult. So I'm calling you Chibi! Short for Chibi Goku!"

Goku's face suddenly looked a little miffed. Now he knew what Vegeta had to go through.

Issun: "You can eat later, now c'mon! We have to find Miss Sakuya."

Reluctantly, Goku headed down the path to the sacred tree Konohana. As he ran along, he did notice that the cherry blossom trees that Vegeta had once restored were dead again. Once he found a way to restore them, Goku would do so in a flash. He knew where to go and in no time, the little saiyan was running up the hill where the sacred tree stood waiting.

Issun: "This, Chibi, is the sacred tree of Kamiki Village - Konohana! Miss Sakuya's spirit resides inside it."

It was all coming back to Goku as he walked up to the tree with a smile. This was where it had all started 9 months ago. He and Vegeta were here with their families and friends for the annual Kamiki Festival which was also the 100th anniversary of Nagi and Amaterasu's victory over Orochi and, ironically, the 14th anniversary of Vegeta coming to earth. Orochi and many other demons had been freed and Vegeta's true destiny came forth. He was the son of Amaterasu and her chosen heir. With the help from Issun, himself, their friends & families, and the people of Nippon... Vegeta defeated the evil and restored the peace. And now it was his turn. Although he wasn't showing it, Goku was a little unsure of himself. After all, Amaterasu was Vegeta's mother. But he wasn't related to Vegeta at all. If he was going to take Vegeta's place one day, he'll have to really prove himself worthy. This was the challenge set for him. And now they were going to hear more from Sakuya.

Issun: "Yo, Miss Sakuya! What the heck's been going on lately? Demons have been out walking around like they own the place!"

In no time at all, Sakuya appeared before Goku and Issun.

Sakuya: "Ah, my little bug. As noisy as ever."

Goku just burst out laughing as Issun shouted that he wasn't a bug, again. Sakuya finally noticed Goku. But she was mistaken.

Sakuya: "And that purest white glow can only mean it is you, Vegeta."

Goku just innocently laughed. Something told him that people were going to mistaken him for Vegeta every now and then.

Sakuya: "You are the Great God who fought evil... You are never changing and... Wait..."

And it seemed Sakuya noticed.

Sakuya: "I think you're... You look a bit... Did you shrink since last we met...?"

Goku: "Heh heh hah! Hi Sakuya! It's been a while."

Issun: "Miss Sakuya! This is not the time for jokes! This here isn't Geta! It's Goku!"

Sakuya: "Ah, Goku. But what happened to you? You were once big."

Goku: "Take my word on this, Sakuya. It'd take way too long to explain. And as for my appearance... Well, Vegeta kinda adopted me."

Issun: "Why don't you give her a good bite so she doesn't forget!"

Instead of a bite, Goku was enjoying a huge from Sakuya. Much to Issun's dismay.

Issun: "... Um... That's not what I'd call a bite."

Sakuya: "You are so cute."

Issun: "Quit playin' around, you two! We've got stuff to discuss!"

And Sakuya stopped fooling around and got serious.

Sakuya: "*Ahem!* Those demons you saw are harbingers of a greater evil I fear. Nippon is in great danger."

Issun: "And here I was just getting used to my new job. But I guess I'm up for an adventure just like the one I had with Geta!"

But Sakuya had a reality check for the Poncle.

Sakuya: "I am sorry, Issun. But you cannot accompany Goku on his journey."

Issun: "What!? Why not?"

Sakuya: "Because you must carry out the duties of a Celestial Envoy."

Issun: "But what about Chibi Goku? He's not as powerful as Geta."

Issun had a point. Although Goku was strong in his own rite, he wasn't as strong as Vegeta, especially his Celestial Brush. He used to be stronger then the saiyan prince but not anymore.

Issun: "Isn't it good to try and help others?"

But before any more could be said, up above, the sky over Kamiki Village suddenly started going dark.

Issun: "Hey! Why's it getting so dark?"

Storm clouds rolled in. And then a bolt of lightning came and struck Konohana, splitting it down the center! With the sacred tree damaged, Sakuya started losing her power.

Sakuya: "My... power... is fading..."

Sakuya disappeared. But Issun seemed confident that he could fix this.

Issun: "No problem! I'll just use a Celestial Brush skill I picked up!"

And Goku watched as Issun traced the outline of the broken tree. But nothing happened.

Issun: "What! But I saw Geta do it many times! Chibi! Tell me you can fix this! If you're really Geta's successor, then this should be no big deal, right?"

Goku gulped. This was the moment of truth. Would a brush god come to his call? Only one way to find out. Goku started doing his best to roar, like how Vegeta used to call to the gods. But... His roar was more of a bark.

Issun: "Um... Barking's not gonna help you. You know that, right?"

Goku looked to the sky. But nothing. And then, a heavenly shine! A constellation of a dragon appeared.

Goku: "I did it!"

Issun: "Whoa! I didn't know you could make the stars shine by barking!"

Goku: "So what do I do know?"

Issun: "Ok, listen up, Chibi. Trace the outline of that dragon there!Do that right and you'll see something really cool!"

Goku: "All right!"

Goku called up the scroll and traced the dragon. When he was done, the constellation shined. Suddenly, the dragon Yomigami appeared and flew by. Two tied up scrolls fell in front of Goku and Issun. Before long, out popped a baby dragon from each scroll. They were the children of Yomigami, god of Rejuvenation.

Young Yomigami: "O Child of the Great Sun, we are the Young Yomigami. Our parents served your father, the Great God Vegeta, and so we, too, desire to serve you. We two siblings offer unto you our undying devotion, and the power of Rejuvenation that we have inherited!"

The two Young Yomigami siblings left and Goku gained the power of Rejuvenation.

Goku: "Alright! My first brush technique!"

Issun: "The Rejuvenation Brush technique can fix damaged items. But you'll need to be spot-on when drawing! OK, time to put your skills to the test! Trace the outline of Konohana just like I did! That'll activate Rejuvenation and should restore the tree to its former glory."

Goku began tracing the outline of the tree. Once he was done, Rejuvenation went to work and fixed the tree. Although the sacred tree was without leaves or flowers, at least it was whole again and Sakuya reappeared.

Sakuya: "Thank you, Goku. But without the flowers in bloom, I cannot aid you."

Issun: "Well, Chibi, I can't help you, and Miss Sakuya's out of the question... Looks like we're gonna have to find you a new partner..."

Goku: "But... Where would I start?"

Issun saw he had a good point.

Issun: "I suppose I could help you with that! I need a break from being a Celestial Envoy anyway!"

And the Poncle hopped up onto Goku's forehead like he used to with Vegeta.

Issun: "I'll stay with you until we find you a suitable partner! OK?"

Goku: "OK!"

Sakuya: "... His fate is in your hands, little one."

Issun: "Don't worry! You can always count on me!"

Content that Goku was in good hands for now, Sakuya left to rest.

Issun: "You know, Chibi, Geta had the power to make Konohana explode into full bloom!"

Goku: "I know! I saw the whole thing! That was pretty impressive!"

Issun: "I'm betting you can learn that technique, too. Then, once you get it, we'll come back here and heal Miss Sakuya right up. That's the plan. Got it?"

Goku: "Got it."

Issun: "Well? What are you waiting for? Time to find your new partner! Let's try asking around in the village! There just might be someone who can help you on your way. It's a place to start, in any case."

And off they went to the village to find Goku a partner! A partner was a good idea. Because he was a child, Goku wasn't as strong as he used to be and his brush techniques were still young too. A partner would give him the extra hand he needed, and it was always fun making friends. But they soon ran into a problem. At the bottom of the hill, they found two statues.

Issun: "Uh... What the heck is this? I don't remember there ever being a statue here. Well, whatever. We still gotta find you a partner!"

And they headed back to the village. Once there, they found another statue.

Issun: "Here's another one! They look so real, like they're carbon copies."

By the river they found yet another one.

Issun: "Hmmm... Nope, can't get this one to budge either. Everyone was moving around normally just a few minutes ago! First the sky and now this. Something is rotten in Kamiki!"

Goku: "Didn't this happen before, Issun?"

Issun: "Yeah. Geta and I saw the same thing. Wait a minute! What if the whole world is like this now? I think we should go check out Shinshu Field!"

Issun had no idea at how right he was.


	4. Finding A Partner: Act 1 Part 3

**Finding A Partner**

When they got to Shinshu Field, they discovered that nearly half of it was covered by a cursed zone.

Issun: "Look at that, Chibi! This are's become one big cursed zone! And by cursed, I mean it's been tainted by evil."

Goku: "Did you and Vegeta encounter any of these?"

Issun: "Yes we- Stop the press! I just remembered the last time I saw one of these! Hurry, we gotta get to that place in Kamiki where you can get a good view of things!"

And both Goku and Issun hurried back to Kamiki as fast as Goku could run! They headed strait for the Sacred Deck, the deck overlooking the Konohana tree. It was the highest point in Kamiki. In no time they were there.

Issun: "I think we could use a little of Geta's power here at the Sacred Deck! C'mon, Chibi! Let's see if you've got the power of the sun like Geta!"

Quickly, Goku drew a circle in the dark sky. The sun appeared and the sky turned brighter. Only a little though.

Issun: "Well, the sky is brighter, but that color's the same. But this should've thawed out all the statues in town. Who'd have thought there'd be so many evil spirits in such a short time! We can't afford to dilly-dally any longer. We've gotta find you a new partner - fast!"

They hurried back down the trail and ran into Mushi and his dog Hayabusa.

Mushi: "Did you see all that lightning? It's kinda creepy... But I got Hayabusa here, so I ain't scared one bit!"

Issun: "Good to see you two still getting along. Seeing you all makes me want to see Geta again. Wait... You don't recall being frozen as a statue? That's probably for the best."

Goku headed down towards the village. As they did, Goku told Issun something interesting.

Goku: "Ya know, Issun, Vegeta misses you too."

Issun: "He does?"

Goku: "Yeah! Every time he sees a pretty lady, he imagines how you'd react!"

Issun: "Why that overgrown-"

?: "Gyaah!"

A scream got their attention! It was Mushi's Mama and she was being attacked by two young Green Imps!

Mushi's Mama: "Someone's messed with my scarecrow!"

Issun: "Oh, no! There might be some evil spirits here! We can't let them run amok! C'mon, Chibi! Let's go get 'em!"

Goku: "Right!"

And Goku rushed in to stop the demons! Like with the first set from Yakushi Village, Goku used his Divine Instrument to attack the demons. The demons were defeated quickly, but the scarecrow was damaged. The upper half was gone.

Mushi's Mama: "Oh! Did you get rid of all those evil spirits?"

Goku: "Yep!"

Mushi's Mama: "That's great, but now I've got a broken scarecrow. Now I have to stand out here all day watching the field! Geez!"

Goku: "Aww... I'm sorry about your scarecrow."

Issun: "She's a strong woman, but even she's got her limits... Yo, Chibi! You should fix her scarecrow for her!"

Goku: "No problem! I'll have it good as new in a jiffy!"

And Goku called you his scroll. He could se the outline of the scarecrow and he traced that line. And just like that, the scarecrow was indeed good as new!

Mushi's Mama: "Holy hens and crows! Someone rebuilt my scarecrow! I see it, but I don't believe it!"

And suddenly, glowing orbs emanated from Mushi's Mama and were absorbed into Goku's body.

Goku: "What were those orbs, Issun?"

Issun: "Those are Praise Orbs, Chibi! They appear whenever you make someone happy or whenever you manage to revive nature! Those Praise Orbs are the source of your power. The more you gather, the stronger you get. Geta collected a lot of them which is how he got so strong. Keep collecting 'em, Chibi, and you can be just as strong as Geta one day!"

Goku: "Then I'd better collect a lot!"

They looked all over the village but nothing. But then another situation came up. The only way in and out of Kamiki Village was blocked by a huge bolder! But the man who assisted Vegeta in defeating Orochi was there, Susano.

Issun: "Hey, pops!"

Susano: "Well, if it isn't the little bug! It's been ages!"

Issun: "You remember this old guy, right Chibi?"

Goku: "Of course!"

Issun: "Can you believe he got Kushi to marry him with that ugly mug? Guess he must've stole her heart when he stole Orochi's life."

Goku: "Hah hah hah! Issun! You know it was Vegeta who did all the work!"

And then a surprise.

Susano: "Hm? Uh huh... Hmm...? Wait! Aren't you... that little kid?"

Issun: "You know Chibi, pops?"

Susano: "Of course I do! Where have you been all this time? I hadn't seen hide nor hair of you since that day. I was so worried!"

Goku tilted his head.

Goku: "Huh? I don't know what you're talking about."

Susano: "What? Say it isn't so! You gotta still remember me!"

Issun: "Are you sure you're not mistaking Chibi for someone else?"

Susano: "Hmm... I suppose..."

Issun: "So what's with the bolder, pops?"

Susano: "This bolder here is protecting the town. I won't let so much as a bug in or out while demons are lurking about out there! You can count on me! Now go on and scram, kid! Now where's Kuni gone off to? *Grumble, grumble*"

Issun: "I haven't seen him either. I think he said he'd be out practicing at his usual spot. Anyway, we can't leave the town, Chibi, so let's head back."

Goku: "Ok."

They headed back down. Before they were about to cross the bridge, they saw a little girl crying next to it.

Young Girl: "*Sobbing*"

Goku: "Are you alright?"

Issun: "What's wrong, little girl? Why the waterworks?"

?: "What's this!?"

Goku: "Huh?"

Goku looked around for the voice. He then spotted someone on top of Susano's house! A boy with a big wooden sword.

?: "Whoever made this girl cry..."

He started posing like Susano used to.

?: "... will feel my wrath! I, Kuni, declare it! He who troubles young maidens... will taste my blade! Hi-yaah!"

And he jumped off the roof impressively... But landed with a big flop! After a few seconds, he picked himself up out of the dirt.

?: "Ho-ho! You don't look like anyone I've seen before!"

As he always did, Goku greeted this new person with a cheerful smile as he approached him.

?: "Ah! What are you doin'?"

Which was returned with a cowardly backing off.

Goku: "Hi!"

Issun: "Geta was right, Chibi. You just love making friends wherever you go, don'tcha?"

?: "Hey... How come you got all those strange markings on you?"

It would seem that this kid could see Goku's crimson markings.

Goku: "Huh? You can see these?"

Issun: "Hey, kid, you can see 'em?"

?: "Yeah, of course. They're pretty hard to miss."

Issun: "This kid is Kuni, Chibi. His parents are Susano and Kushi."

Kuni: "Mwa-ha-ha! I am the son of the great warrior Susano!"

And Issun toppled over.

Issun: "... And just as cocky I see. Like father like son I suppose."

Goku just had to laugh.

Kuni: "Of course! My dad is a great hero!"

Once again, Issun toppled over. While Goku checked on Issun, Kuni walked up to the young crying girl.

Kuni: "Are you OK? Are they bothering you?"

Young Girl: "*Sob!* I was playing in Shinshu Field when a monster scared me. He took the mirror that used to belong to my mom."

It was the word 'monster' that made Kuni panic.

Kuni: "What! A m-monster!?"

Issun: "You two hear that? A true hero helps those in need. But you know that, right?"

Kuni: "Y-Yeah... S-Sure..."

Issun: "So why don't you take Chibi here... and go get back her mirror from those 'monsters'."

Goku smiled from ear to ear. Kuni... Not so much.

Kuni: "What! You mean... You want me to go fight those monsters?"

Issun: "Well, they're demons not monsters, and yes, I do. The son of Susano ain't afraid of a few demons, is he?"

Kuni: "H-H-H-Heck no. I am Susano's son."

Issun: "Susano?"

Kuni: "Oh, yeah. The great warrior Susano! And like my father, I too am a great warrior!"

Issun: "You OK, kid? You're shaking."

Kuni: "I'm... fine. I'm not shaking 'cause I'm not scared!"

Issun: "OK, then you'll be Chibi's new partner! Make sure you take good care of him. This is the end of the road for me, Chibi. I have to get to work!"

And Issun started bouncing off!

Issun: "Play nice, you two!"

Kuni: "Do I really have to go fight a bunch of demons? Me? How am I gonna do that? No! I can't think like that! A hero must be brave! Don't worry, I'll get your mirror back!"

Young Girl: "Really? Thank you!"

Kuni: "As a hero it's my duty to retrieve it for you! I promise! I won't come back without it!"

Goku just glanced away with a sarcastic smile. One word just entered his mind. Showboater.

Young Girl: "OK, I'll be waiting for you. Good luck!"

It wasn't until Kuni started walking away did his true feelings about the job come up.

Kuni: "... Great. Because I showed off to her, I have to actually find it."

He then noticed Goku looking at him.

Kuni: "H-Hey! Don't look at me like that! This is your fault!"

Goku: "My fault?"

Kuni: "I mean, do you even have what it takes to be my partner?"

Goku: "I'm pretty sure I do."

Kuni: "You do, eh? Well let's see what you can do! Follow me."

And Kuni started walking towards the bridge, albeit his walk looked more like a wind-up toy's walk. After only 5 steps, Kuni fell over. Poor Goku just sighed and shook his head. Now he knew what Vegeta had to go through, albeit he never actually had or needed a partner. The young saiyan just walked up to Kuni and tossed him onto his back! It was going to be much faster and easier this way.

Kuni: "Oh, you're gonna give me a ride? Fine then. Thatta way!"

Kuni pointed towards the Sacred Deck and that's where they headed.

Kuni: "Whoa... This is weird... I get this feeling of deja vu sitting on your back... I wonder why..."

Once they arrived at the deck, Goku noticed something that wasn't there before. A circle of light.

Kuni: "See that circle of light? For some reason, only I can see it... Today I've decided to let you in. OK, let's jump through the light ring now."

And Goku leaped into the circle of light.


	5. Cave of Nagi: Act 1 Part 4

**Cave of Nagi**

Goku was suddenly in a different place. There were islands of earth floating among a sea of stars. He'd never been here before but he was sure he knew where he was. The Cave of Nagi.

Kuni: "Here we are! Welcome to my secret hideout. I wanna see what you can do. Come on!"

And they started heading inwards. But in only a few steps, they already ran into a problem. A broken bridge.

Kuni: "I could've sworn there was a bridge here the other day... So now what? Build a new one? There's gotta be a way to fix it."

Goku: "Leave it to me!"

In no time, Goku was tracing the outline of the broken part of the bridge. And just that, it was fixed.

Kuni: "Wh-Wh-Wh-What was that!? Hold on, Mutt. Was that you just now with the brush!?"

Goku: "Yep!"

Kuni: "I've never seen anyone fix a bridge by just drawing on it... You must have that famous Celestial Brush! Wow, you're really something else, ain't ya?"

When they crossed the bridge, they found yet another obstacle in their way. This time they were minor demons called Death Boulder.

Kuni: "These guys just appeared out of nowhere... Guess I still haven't seen everything in my hideout yet."

Goku: "Don't worry. I can fight them off."

Goku wasn't worried. He knew he could take care of these demons. While Kuni hung on, Goku swung his Divine Instrument at the Death Boulders. In two swipes, they were history. At the end of the second island, they saw a yellow button on the ground. When Goku stepped on it, a bridge appeared next to them connecting to the next part.

Kuni: "Whoa! Did you see that? If you step on that thing on the floor, it activates something. If you see any more, step on 'em!"

Goku: "Sure thing!"

They crossed the bridge and tried to cross a narrow land-bridge. But the moment Goku stepped on it, it became obvious that it would not hold both of their weight.

Kuni: "I think only one of us can get across that. Let me off, and you go on ahead!"

Goku: "I'll pick you up again once I find something sturdy to cross on."

Kuni: "OK, I'm counting on that."

Goku dropped Kuni off and crossed the teetering land-bridge on his own. At the other end of the land-bridge, there was another switch. When Goku stepped on it, a new bridge appeared. He went back across the new bridge and picked Kuni up. Crossing the bridge, they went through another circle of light and headed deeper into the cave. There was another shaking land-bridge with a switch at the other end, so Goku dropped Kuni off and went over to press it. After the new bridge appeared, Goku picked Kuni up again and they went on. They headed for a ledge that seemed to be a dead end. There was another switch at the far end and Goku headed for it. But a wall of evil energy stopped him and both of them were ambushed! Two young Green Imps and a young Red Imp appeared!

Kuni: "It's... It's the evil spirits! They'll rue the day they met me! Or... Um, the day they met you! I'll be here if you need me..."

Goku: "Oh no! We're partners, Kuni, we're in this together!"

And Goku started lashing out at the Imps with his weapon. After a certain number of hits, Kuni would finish the Imp off. A few minutes later and it was all over.

Goku: "See? We can do it if we work together."

With the demons gone, they continued on. Goku approached the blue switch and stepped on it. When he did, a new circle of light appeared next to them and they jumped through. In the new area, there was a door that was closed. There was a chest on the other side of another shaky land-bridge, and it may hold something that could open the door. But there was one big problem. There was a bunch of Death Boulders rolling around! To make matters worse, there was a little swirling portal that kept spitting out more every time one was destroyed. Then, Kuni does something surprising!

Kuni: "Let me off! I can hold my own in a fight! You go on ahead while I distract them!"

Goku: "Are you sure!?"

Kuni: "Just hurry!"

Hoping Kuni would be alright, Goku dropped him off and raced towards the chest! He wasted no time in opening it and collecting the item inside. It was a Bead Key, a mysterious key for opening doors. Goku hurried back and collected Kuni. With Kuni safe on his back, Goku went up to the door. It was missing a piece which the Bead Key looked like it'd fit into. Goku and Kuni placed the key into the slot and the door opened.

Kuni: "Yes! It's open!"

With the door open, they continued on. Soon Goku found himself staring at something Vegeta had told him of back on the Celestial Plain. It was a river of stardust. It was the River of the Heavens. But whereas Vegeta had to swim across it, it was currently shallow enough for Goku to simply run across. Across the stardust river, there was a statue of a penguin with a flag attached to its belt.

Kuni: "Cool. I've never seen this statue before."

Suddenly, a constellation appeared!

Kuni: "What the... Hey! It's a constellation!"

Goku knew what to do and traced the outline of the penguin. Once the outline was drawn, a penguin and his three children soared across the heavens. Only one problem. Penguins can't fly. The adult landed on the ground and his children landed on top of him. He got up, brushed himself off and waddled off with his children following him. But the three little birds stopped and turned to Goku. They were the children of Michigami, God of Guidance.

Young Michigami: "O Child of the Great Sun! We are the Young Michigami, born to the Spirit of the Brush. Nine moons ago your father, the great god Vegeta... fought and bested the evil darkness that was Yami. This upset the balance of light and dark, and the elders were lost. But a new guard was then born of which we are but a part. We see your heart and recognize that it resonates with ours. You now have the power to guide those who are pure of heart!"

The three Michigami children then gave Goku their power. The young saiyan gained a brush power that Vegeta did not possess. The power of Guidance. But, then again, Vegeta never needed it.

Goku: "Alright! I got another!"

Kuni: "Whoa. That's weird. I can hear a voice inside my head!"

Goku: "What does it say?"

Kuni: "It says, 'I give Guidance to the pure of heart.' I gotta be honest, there were some places I was scared to go. But with you guiding me, I think we can go anywhere!"

Goku: "Yeah! We can do anything if we work together."

Kuni then looked over at a treasure chest that was at the far end of another land-bridge. But this land-bridge had red cracks on it unlike the first ones which were blue. The blue cracks could only hold Goku, but these red ones could only hold Kuni.

Kuni: "Try guiding me across the red cracks to the treasure chest! First let me off!"

Goku let Kuni down and the boy stood at the edge just before the cracks.

Kuni: "OK! Let's do this! Draw a line from me to the treasure chest! If there's something to do at the end, I'll do it for you."

Goku called up his scroll and drew a line from Kuni to the chest. Once he was done, Kuni followed the path that had been drawn and collected the treasure inside the chest.

Kuni: "Alright, I got the treasure! Now to get it back to you! If you want it, you'll have to guide me back."

And Goku did the same thing as before. He drew a line from Kuni to him and Kuni followed the path back to Goku. The young saiyan picked him up and Kuni gave him the item.

Kuni: "With a bit of guidance I can do what you need me to do. OK then! Let's try crossing those red cracks we saw earlier!"

They had passed some red cracks earlier. Crossing back across the River of the Heavens, Goku and Kuni went and collected the treasure on the other side of one other red cracks. The next set of cracks had a yellow switch at the end. So Goku guided Kuni to it and the switch was pressed down. A new bridge appeared and Goku rejoined his friend. There was a blue switch on that same section and they stepped onto it. A new circle of light opened up and they went further in. The next area was tricky. Three yellow switches, but two were out of reach to either of them. One on the right and one on the left. Only Kuni could get to the one that was within reach. Goku guided Kuni to the switch, making sure he avoided the ground spikes that popped up every now and then. When Kuni stepped on the switch, a bridge appeared and made the switch to Goku's left reachable. Goku stepped on that one and a bridge appeared to the last switch which Kuni had to be guided to. When all was said and done, they both made it to the other end. The final area was the home of the Statue of Nagi, although some now call it the Statue of Susano. During the last nine months, vegetation has grown all around it. There was now a stick branching out from the sword.

Kuni: "That statue looks kinda like my dad... But the sword is different. Susano is the greatest swordsman ever, but his sword is wrong. Think you could use your brush to do something about that?"

When Goku pulled up the scroll, he saw the outline of a flower like he did with the scarecrow. He just simply traced the outline and a flower appeared. Just as soon as the flower appeared, so too did a constellation of a mouse!

Kuni: "Ooh, another one! I wonder what deity this one is."

Goku had an idea. He traced the outline of the mouse. When he finished, Tachigami, God of Power Slash, appeared and slashed his sword wildly around. But in the midst of his stunt, the sheath of his blade fell off. The sheath suddenly started twitching and soon, a little mouse peeked its head out. It was soon followed by two others as they tried dragging a smaller sword, but much bigger then themselves, out of the sheath. Finally, they, the children of Tachigami, stood on top of the blade and spoke to Goku.

Young Tachigami: "O Child of the Great Sun, we are the Young Tachigami. We are the servants of the great Sun God from time immemorial. Although we cannot follow you on your journey, we hope that our gift will be of service to you. May the Power Slash help you tear the darkness asunder!"

The three mice left and gave Goku the Power Slash technique!

Kuni: "Wow! The Power Slash! Issun's told me stories about it! He said you could cut a rock in half with it, believe it or not."

Goku believed it. He'd seen Vegeta use it many times. This was a technique he was very familiar with!

Kuni: "Ooh, perfect! Hurry up and try it out!"

There just so happened to be a big rock right next to them.

Kuni: "OK, draw a horizontal line and cut this rock in half!"

Goku: "Alright! Just watch!"

Eagerly, Goku drew a line across the rock. And with perfect ease, the rock was sliced in two!

Kuni: "Whoa! Did ya see that!? You split that boulder in two! Whenever we gotta cut something in half, you do it just like that!"

There was a circle of light at the bottom of the statue. After making their way down to it, they were ambushed by more Imps.

Kuni: "Whoa! There's a lot more of 'em this time! This is why that Celestial Brush of yours is so handy. You could hit 'em all at once with the Power Slash!"

The three Green Imps were in a perfect line. Goku drew a line across all three of them and they were all slashed at once. After the Green Imps were gone, two Red Imps appeared. With Kuni's help, Goku defeated all of the Imps.

Kuni: "With the Power Slash we don't have to be afraid of any demons!"

And with that, they jumped through the circle and left the Cave of Nagi. They were soon back on the Sacred Deck in Kamiki.

Goku: "So? How'd I do?"

Kuni: "I think you're gonna be a good partner, um...?"

Goku: "Goku."

Kuni: "Go... Go..."

Kuni couldn't seem to pronounce Goku's name. He's not the first.

Kuni: "I can't pronounce that."

Goku: "That's OK, Kuni. Why don't you give me a nickname?"

Kuni: "OK! It's gotta be a strong name... and one that's easy to remember."

Kuni stared at Goku for a little bit.

Kuni: "I got it!"

Goku: "So what is it?"

Kuni: "Your new name is... Mutt!"

Goku's jaw dropped and he hung his head low. That wasn't what he had in mind.

Goku: "Why that one?"

Kuni: "Because I don't know if you're a human or wolf or what."

Goku: "Well, it could be worse. I'm fine with that."

Kuni: "OK, we got the naming thing outta the way... Guess I should be getting back now."

Goku: "No way! Aren't you forgetting something!? You promised that girl we'd get her mom's mirror back!"

Kuni: "Really? We have to?"

Goku just gave Kuni a stern look.

Kuni: "Yeah, you're right. I did promise to get that girl's mirror... I'm not afraid. I can do this!"

Goku: "That's the spirit!"

Kuni: "The only problem is Dad and the big rock blocking the road. I don't think he's gonna let us out..."

Goku: "Don't worry, Kuni. We'll think of something."


	6. Get Past Susano: Act 1 Part 5

**Get Past Susano**

If they wanted to leave Kamiki, Goku and Kuni had to think of a way past Susano. They stopped by Kushi's house in hopes of getting some ideas.

Kushi: "Kuni! I thought I told you to stay indoors! Where have you been!? Really! Do you know how worried I was!?"

Kuni: "I'm sorry... I was just hanging out in the village."

Kuni then noticed the hole in Kushi's sake barrel.

Kuni: "Oh, no! Mom's not gonna be able to make any more sake! Can't you fix it or something?"

Goku: "Leave it to me."

Goku traced the outline of the hole and Rejuvenation took care of the rest.

Kushi: "The sake barrel is as good as new. Where did Susano find the time? I'm just glad it's fixed! Now I can make sake for everyone! I haven't seen Susano in a while. I wonder what he's doing..."

They had an idea about that. Goku headed up towards the entrance to Kamiki and the boulder was still there as well as Susano.

Susano: "There you two are. Remember to be home before it gets dark. I can't wait to get home myself. I'm beat from standing guard. I wish I had some of Kushi's sake. I'd drink that and go to bed."

Kuni: "I guess standing guard all day is tiring."

Goku and Kuni left, but Susano had given them the key to getting past him. Sake.

Kuni: "Hmm... I think mom has some sake at home. Let's go find it."

Susano's house it was. It was right down the hill.

Kuni: "I know Mom hid her sake somewhere in this house! Maybe we can use the Power Slash to see if it's hidden behind something!"

They searched the place high and low, but nothing. Then they checked downstairs. It didn't take them long to find the sake jug hidden in the rafters. With Power Slash, Goku got it down and Kuni caught it. They rushed back to the top of the hill where Susano was still standing guard. It didn't take him long to spot the sake jug.

Susano: "Hey... That's Kushi's sake! Why do you have it?"

Kuni: "Um, Mom said to, um, give it to you..."

And Susano snatched the sake away faster then he could run.

Susano: "One should never turn down a drink, at least not from the wife! I'll just have a taste for now."

And the 'taste' turned into a chug fest! Goku just laughed as Susano chugged the sake down fast. In seconds, the 'great' swordsman was out cold and snoring like a bear. Sake is apparently Susano's Achilles heel. With Susano out, it was time to deal with the boulder.

Kuni: "... OK. Now we can do something about that boulder! Use your Power Slash on it!"

Goku: "Right!"

Goku quickly drew a line across the boulder... But nothing. It looks like he'll need some help.

Kuni: "Hmph! I guess you're gonna need my help on this. You're not the only one who can split a rock!"

Kuni hopped off of Goku's back. Moments later and Kuni swung his sword across the rock, creating a line for Goku to use Power Slash again. Goku drew a line across the one Kuni made and this time, the boulder split in two!

Goku: "We did it!"

Kuni: "If we work together like that, no rocks will ever stop us!"

Now the way was clear. Off to Shinshu Field!

Kuni: "Whoa! What the heck's this?"

It didn't take long for Kuni to see the cursed zone in Shinshu Field.

Kuni: "Oh, I betcha it's one of them cursed zones Dad told me about! I think these things pop up whenever Konohana is weakened. We'll worry about that later. For now, adventure awaits us!"

With much of Shinshu Field covered in a cursed zone, there were very few places the demons that stole the young girl's mirror could hide. There was one resident of the field that they could talk to. The Nameless Man. So... They stopped by his place for a chat.

Nameless Man: "Seems you can't go anywhere these days without bumping into a bunch of demons again."

Goku: "We know. Hey, what's that gate behind your house to?"

Before they went inside, Goku noticed a gate behind the man's house.

Nameless Man: "That gate behind here connects to Hana Valley. It used to be nice, but now it's infested with evil spirits. I really hope the Guardian Sapling and the Crystal Ball that brings life to all plants are OK in there."

Kuni: "Did you say demons? The ones that took that girl's mirror must be there! Let's go, Mutt!"

Goku remembered something that Vegeta had told him about Hana Valley. It was where Vegeta got the power to revive life back to plants. So maybe...

Nameless Man: "Man..."

But before they could go, the Nameless Man seemed to have a problem.

Kuni: "What's wrong?"

Nameless Man: "Well, here's the thing... I'm a potter by trade, but those demons stole all my pottery stuff!"

Goku: "That's terrible!"

Nameless Man: "I chased after them to get my stuff back, but I was too scared to actually do anything about it."

Kuni: "If that's your problem then you don't have to worry. Mutt and I'll get it back for you!"

Nameless Man: "I'd be very grateful if you did. Here's a list of what they took."

The Nameless Man gave Goku and Kuni a list of the things that had been taken from him. They left and headed for the gate. But the gate was down and the lever was broken.

Kuni: "Great! We can't open the gate because the lever's broken! Guess we can't go this way..."

Goku: "Kuni..."

Kuni: "... Unless, we could find a way to fix it."

Kuni may be the 'hero', but Goku was the boss. He wasn't going to let Kuni get off that easily. The young saiyan traced the outline of the broken half of the lever and it was fixed in no time.

Kuni: "Yes! You fixed it! Nice work!"

Kuni got off and walked up to the lever. Time to open the gate!

Kuni: "Hey, great job, Mutt! Now we can get that gate open!"

Kuni went to work at trying to move the lever. But...

Kuni: "Rrrrrrgh...!"

He tried pulling it. Nothing.

Kuni: "Aaarrrrr...!"

He tried pushing it. Nothing again.

Kuni: "Eeennngh...!"

He even tried stepping on it. Not even a twitch.

Kuni: "Forget it. I'm not strong enough. And I guess that's that. It's too bad, but a man's gotta pick his battles. Let's go ho-"

Goku was giving Kuni a dirty look.

Kuni: "Wh-What's that dirty look for!?"

Goku: "That'd better be a joke."

Kuni: "*Ahem* Of course, I was only joking. You knew that, right? Now, let's go see if we can find ourselves another way through!"

Kuni hopped back on Goku and they went in search of another way through. Since the Nameless Man lived here, perhaps he'd know.

Nameless Man: "Who's there!? That you, Kuni? Whadya want?"

Kuni: "I need to get to the other side of that gate. Can you help?"

Nameless Man: "Forget it. You wanna get to Hana Valley, right? Well the whole place is just crawling with demons. I even saw a real shiny one pass through there..."

Kuni: "A shiny one!"

Nameless Man: "Yeah, it kinda just floated on through. Kinda small like."

Kuni: "That must've been the mirror! Listen, mister! I really gotta get to the other side! We can't open that gate by ourselves. We need your help."

Nameless Man: "Good luck with that. Even if I were to help you, and I didn't say I would, it would take at least ten able-bodied men to open it."

Kuni: "Ten...!"

Nameless Man: "Well, it's a heavy gate."

Goku: *If I was an adult again, I could easily do it...*

Nameless Man: "Just give up and go home. You're not gonna get it open today."

It seemed that they had no other choice. Goku and Kuni started to leave with their heads hung low. They just looked at the gate.

Kuni: "So we gotta get this gate open... But how? With what?"

If Goku was an adult again, he could easily open it. But he wasn't. If they knew ten strong men who'd be willing to help, they'd ask them. But, alas, they didn't. But they did know one, and he was charging after them with cloud of dust trailing behind him.

Susano: "I'm coming! Hoooold up!"

Looks like Susano woke up.

Kuni: "D-Dad!"

Susano caught up to them and it was obvious that he had been running hard!

Susano: "Oh, you're OK! Thank the gods for that!"

Kuni: "Aren't you taking it a bit far? You didn't have to worry-"

When it came to being a hero, Susano got average marks. But for being a parent... A plus all the way.

Susano: "Not have to worry!"

Kuni: "What?"

Susano: "You're my son! Of course I'm gonna be worried about you!"

Kuni: "Dad..."

Susano: "C'mon, we're going home. Never know what you'll run into here."

Kuni: "... Dad... I can't... I can't go back to the village yet. I have to go over there... To Hana Valley."

Susano was having none of it.

Susano: "Nonsense! The place is overrun with demons!"

Kuni: "But that girl who was crying? They took her mirror!"

Susano: "And now you wanna go get it back for her."

Kuni: "As the son of a great swordsman it's my duty to help her!"

Susano: "Kuni... Son..."

Kuni: "Please, Dad! You gotta let me go!"

Goku thought that Susano wasn't going to let them go. So he and Kuni were both surprised when Susano walked toward the lever! With a good grip, Susano started to try and push the lever.

Susano: "Hya-aaaaaaargh!"

Unbelievably, the lever started moving and the gate started to rise!

Kuni: "Whoa..."

Goku: "Wow..."

Susano: "OK... I'll hold this open for you... Get going, Kuni!"

Kuni: "Uh... OK."

Susano: "But promise me you'll come straight back if you're in danger! You're my son, but that doesn't mean you gotta save the world!"

Kuni: "Dad..."

Susano: "Yes, I'm your father and don't you forget it! Now go!"

Kuni: "... Thanks, Dad! I'll be back soon!"

And they headed into Hana Valley.


	7. Hana Valley: Act 1 Part 6

**Hana Valley**

Hana Valley. It was once a beautiful place. But now it was dark and crawling with evil. A whole new set of demons roamed around. The first was a demon called Red Toad, which are the incarnation of rage and murder that dwells at the bottom of rivers. These demons did not hide and ambush, they were right out in the open. Its usual victims are children and small animals, so Goku and Kuni had to be careful. They found a chest near the entrance and it had a Potter Wheel inside! This was one of the Nameless Man's stolen items. They headed toward the first bridge and found a signboard next to it. It was from Issun.

Issun's Signboard: "I've left some of my words of wisdom around for you guys! Word on the street is there are some demons taking over these parts. They're the reason the Guardian Sapling has lost its strength."

Goku: "Awfully nice of Issun to leave some hints for us."

They continued on, defeating any Red Toads that got in their way. After cutting through a wall of three rocks, they ran into something.

Kuni: "Hey, Mutt! It's another one of those cursed zones. We need to find a way to purify that land... Remember this spot! Once we figure it out we'll come back here!"

They couldn't do anything at the moment so they move on. Goku and Kuni soon found themselves in a room with a blocked off end. Hanging on a wall was a painting of something but the lower left half was missing.

Kuni: "This wall's in pretty bad shape. Maybe if you fix it up we might see something cool."

So Goku traced the outline of the broken section. And it was fixed just like that.

Kuni: "Beautiful! You're getting the hang of this!"

Now that the painting was fixed, they could see what it was. The painting showed a crystal ball getting power from the sun to grow a sapling into a tree.

Kuni: "Hmm... Looks like some kind of tree-growing ceremony... I've heard about those from my Dad I think. That's one of those Guardian Saplings. Pretty neat, eh? Hmmm... Feels like something's missing..."

A crucial piece was missing. The sun.

Kuni: "I think it needs a light source."

Goku: "No problem."

Goku drew a circle in the spot where the sun was suppose to be on the painting. As he did this, he was unaware that Vegeta had done this once before. The sun appeared and merged with the painting. Now it was complete. But suddenly, the ground started to shake!

Goku: "Wow! What the!?"

Kuni: "Whoooooa! Wh-Wh-What's going on!?"

A hole opened up just under the painting and a rock created a ramp to that hole.

Kuni: "Whoa! Check it out! A path opened up!"

Goku: "Let's check it out!"

Kuni: "Let's go!"

And they jumped into the hole. In the next area, there were a bunch of red cracked bridges. Across one was a chest that contained Enamel, another one of the Nameless Man's stolen stuff. A little further away, they found another signboard.

Issun's Signboard: "The Guardian Sapling bears fruit, and this fruit is the source of its strength. The way I figure it, some grand poobah of demons is taking all the fruit to make himself stronger. Word is he's getting fat! Too many carb, I guess... I heard he goes by the name Master Anura, but who knows what he's a master of! I do know he's hoarding all the fruit he can find! They say he's so fat, his belly button is bigger than a human head! Anyway, you'd better look into it."

Goku: "Whoa... This guy sounds strong."

At the end of the cavern, there was another bridge with red cracks with a yellow switch at the end. So Goku guided Kuni to the switch and he stepped on it. The switch activated the door next to them to open. Once Kuni was back on, Goku headed through the door. They worked their way through that area and into the next. After eliminating some Red Toads, they found another huge rock in their way.

Kuni: "Oh, goodie. A big rock in our way. Lucky us."

Goku: "C'mon, Kuni. We've come this far."

Kuni: "There's a scrap of paper attached to it. Weird... Well, if we wanna keep going, there's only one thing to do! I'm gonna cut this rock in two, and I'm gonna need your help!"

Like before, Kuni slashed the rock first and Goku used Power Slash soon after. With the rock in two now, they could move on.

Kuni: "It's like I've been saying: The two of us can split any rock in two!"

Before they could head through the newly opened tunnel, they were ambushed by a Bone Clam! It is said that this creature enjoys on clamping down on the legs of swimmers, drowning them, and then slowly crushing their bones. Sometimes their hunger sends them scampering for dry land. There was one weakness. If the shell could be opened then the demon was vulnerable. The Bone Clam was tough. It took Goku and Kuni several hits to finally end it. The next area they came to was different in some way. A whole bunch of dead trees were scattered. Red Toads hopped around. They only way they could get further up was by cutting rocks and using them as steps. There was a door but it was closed. A sign next to it gave hint as to what they had to do to open it.

Sign: "The path is closed when the trees are bare."

Goku: "Looks like we'll need to find a way to restore the trees if we want to continue."

Kuni: "Yeah. Let's look around and see if we can find anything that could help us."

They headed towards another rock blocking their path. After cutting it down to size, they found another helping hand from Issun.

Issun's Signboard: "I tell ya, that demon is a character... It looks like he's getting his power by eating the Guardian Sapling's fruit. So what you gotta do is give him a good punch in the stomach. That should help you get the fruit back. Then take it where it used to be to restore the Guardian Sapling!"

Goku: "A good punch to the stomach, huh? If he's as fat as Issun says he is, that won't be hard to do!"

There was only one other place they could go that wasn't blocked off. Upon entering the next area, they found another red crack path under three waterfalls. Opposite of the waterfalls were three red switches. When Goku pressed down on the first one, the first waterfall stopped. This gave him an idea. He dropped Kuni off at the base of the path and stepped on the first switch. He then used the Guidance technique to guide Kuni across the path and onto the yellow switch at the end while he stepped on the red switches at the right time. When Kuni stepped on the yellow switch, a wooden plank appeared in front of Goku and created a bridge to him and the island Kuni was on. After picking Kuni up, they investigated a statue that was in the center. Just as soon as they did, a constellation of an ape appeared!

Kuni: "Ooh, another one! I wonder what deity this one is."

Eager to see what new brush skill he'd get this time, Goku quickly traced the outline of the constellation. Moments later and Sakigami, the god of Bloom and one of the triumvirate of flora gods known as the Hanagami, appeared! He spun around and around before he finally stopped. When he did, his child jumped out from behind him. The youngster carried a pellet drum and pretended to ride it like a horse before he saw Goku and got serious.

Young Sakigami: "O Child of the Great Sun, I am the Young Sakigami. Your father, the great god Vegeta, knew you would pass this way, so I have been waiting here for your arrival. Now we shall bond, and you shall have the power to bring flowers and trees to bloom. Behold, the power is yours!"

The Young Sakigami played his little drum and disappeared after giving Goku the power of Bloom.

Kuni: "Oh, I've heard of this Celestial Brush skill! You can use it to make the cherry blossoms bloom!"

There just happened to be three dead trees next to them.

Kuni: "Just for fun, try making the flowers on that tree bloom! Face the tree and draw a circle around it."

Goku had been waiting to get this brush skill. Vegeta used it A LOT. Plus, it was the only brush technique that could restore the Guardian Saplings. So Goku tried it out on the tree next to them. He drew a circle on it and the tree suddenly burst back to life!

Goku: "Alright!"

Kuni: "Sweet! Cherry blossoms! They say flowers can open new paths. We'll keep making trees blossom and see what happens!"

After restoring the last two trees there, they headed back. But they were ambushed again by two Bone Clams! But this time, things were different. Goku had seen Vegeta use the Bloom technique on some demons and exposed their weak points. With that in mind, Goku attacked one of the Bone Clams until it turned grey. A circle suddenly appeared and the young saiyan used Bloom to open the tough shell. When the shell opened, Goku and Kuni did not hesitate in attacking. With its weakness exposed, the first Bone Clam was defeated faster then the one from earlier. They did the same thing with the second one and were done in minutes. With the demons gone, they headed back to the area that had the two signs. The sign next to the door said that it will remain closed until the trees were no longer bare. So Goku had to revive all the trees in that area. After restoring the 7 trees in the area, the door opened. Going through the door, they were ambushed yet again. Four Green Imps appeared but they were now easy to deal with for Goku and Kuni. Once the demons were gone, they moved on. They suddenly came to a halt! The next area was flooded. Not only could they not swim very well, but the water itself looked cursed too. If they wanted to move on, they had to get across. That was when Kuni saw the bud in the water.

Kuni: "Hey, you see that? Looks like a flower bud."

Goku: "Let's if I can open it."

Goku drew a circle around the bud and it opened up with lily pads. Now they could cross! They past an alter with a tiny pool of water at the end and went to the other end, restoring the two trees that were there along the way. A door was closed but there was a red switch at the far end. When Goku stepped on it, the water suddenly went down! With the water down, they saw a yellow switch at the bottom of the alter. If they stepped off the red switch, the water would come back up. So Goku left Kuni there went to the yellow switch. When he pressed it, the next door opened. The young saiyan went and retrieved his friend and they headed for the door. They soon found themselves in a cavern with huge dead trees that all looked ready to fall. At the entrance, there was more from Issun.

Issun's Signboard: "Only those with the proper lineage can touch the fruit of the Guardian Sapling."

Kuni: "Umm... proper lineage. Hmmm..."

Goku: "What is it, Kuni?"

Kuni: "F-Forget I said anything!"

They examined the tree trunk next.

Kuni: "Guess we can't go this way. Unless someone can build us a bridge..."

Goku: "No problem."

The trunk looked so old and weak, Goku simply had to use Power Slash to cut it down and make them a bridge.

Kuni: "Alright, Go... Goc... I still can't pronounce your real name!"

At least he was trying.

Goku: "You'll get it one day, Kuni. You can just keep calling me 'Mutt' for now."

Kuni: "You don't mind?"

Goku: "Not really. It could be worse."

Kuni: "True."

They crossed the trunk and cut the next one down, and then the next. But the last one had a great big hole in it, like someone took a huge bite out of it.

Kuni: "Even if we knocked it over, this thing'd make a terrible bridge, right?"

Goku: "Yeah."

Kuni: "Isn't there something you can do, Mutt?"

Goku knew just the skill to use. He called up his scroll again and traced the outline of the broken trunk. The hole was replaced like that!

Goku: "That's better."

Kuni: "You fixed it! Way to go! I knew you'd turn out to be a great partner!"

Now that they fixed it, they had to knock it down. Once it was down, they crossed it onto the last bit of land. Out of reach, there was a strange flower bud.

Kuni: "There's something odd about that flower bud."

Then they spotted a crystal ball in the water trapped behind some stones.

Kuni: "Hey, what's that crystal doing over there?"

Goku thought back. He knew Vegeta had told him something involving a scenario like this one, but he couldn't remember all of it. He did remember that Vegeta told him that he used Bloom wherever it looked like it could be used. Most of the time, it paid off. So Goku used Bloom on the odd flower bud. The flower opened and the stones holding the crystal sank! The crystal ball flowed down the stream until it was caught again by another set of rocks. Another flower bud appeared on the third island. Goku and Kuni headed back across the logs and stopped at the new bud. Goku used Bloom again and the same thing happened. The crystal was stopped one last time and another bud appeared on the second island. Goku opened that one and the crystal rolled down a path to the previous area. Goku and Kuni headed back and caught up with the crystal. Now Goku remembered what Vegeta had told him. The great saiyan told him about how he returned a crystal ball to an alter to make a seedling grow into a Guardian Sapling. This was the same crystal! So Goku rolled it up to the alter and pushed it into its spot. The moment the crystal ball was in place, the water disappeared all together and a sapling appeared in the center. Goku then looked up to the opening in the sky and drew a circle. The sun appeared and the light hit the sphere and a dazzling green ray shot forth from the crystal and hit the tiny tree in the center. The sapling grew into a bare Guardian Sapling.

Kuni: "That's pretty big! Who'd have thought this half-dead tree was a Guardian Sapling! I heard Dad say that Guardian Saplings are like copies of Sakuya. Alright, let's put some flowers on it for her!"

Goku drew a circle on the tree and it burst into flowers. But suddenly, the flowers wilted and fell.

Kuni: "Aww... It didn't work. That means there's still something evil lurking about. We'll come back here once we expel those evil spirits!"

Suddenly, a hole opened behind them.

Kuni: "Whoa! A hole just opened up! What are you waiting for? Let's check it out!"

Before they could jump down the hole, they were ambushed again. Two Green Imps and a Bone Clam appeared. Since the Bone Clam was the tougher of the three demons, they went after it first. With Bloom and Power Slash, Goku took it down fast and the Green Imps followed soon after.

Kuni: "Whew-! Didn't expect evil spirits to jump out like that. I guess the only way to find that fruit is to go down there! *Gulp!* You ready to go, Mutt?"

Goku: "Yeah!"

Kuni: "Alright, let's go!"

And they jumped down the hole.


	8. Working Together: Act 1 Part 7

This is the end of Act 1. I'll post Act 2 when I'm finished with it.

* * *

**Working Together**

Kuni was the first to reach the bottom first. As he started to stand, Goku fell on top of him. While Kuni recovered from having the wind knocked out of him, Goku looked around. They were in a cave with an underground stream. On the other side of the stream, there were three of the Guardian Saplings roots. But there was no fruit in them. Goku could feel an evil presence nearby. Kuni finally came too and they both looked around. There wasn't any sign of that Master Anura Issun mentioned on his signboards. But then, Goku saw something in the water. The ground started to shake before a huge toad burst out of the water! The giant toad gave a loud roar before speaking to them. This was no doubt Master Anura.

Master Anura: "And what brings you two little animals here? *Croak* You're not here to make a joke about defeating me, are you?"

Goku: "This guy is huge!"

Kuni: "Wh-Who... What is this thing...?"

Master Anura: "Only a blood heir of Nagi could even hope to challenge me!"

Kuni seemed upset and scared all at once.

Kuni: "I-I-I'm the son of S-S-Susano..."

Master Anura: "Susano's son!? Gya-gyah-gyah! *Croak* If you speak the truth, then I will play with you! *Croak*"

Goku watched as Kuni started to back off.

Goku: "Kuni...?"

Kuni: "Um... Uh..."

All the while, Master Anura continued to taunt him.

Master Anura: "Are you scared, little one? Come on! Kill me! I'm here!"

Goku waited for Kuni to do something.

Kuni: "Um... Uh..."

Master Anura: "I guess all of Nagi's descendants are just cowards! *Croak* Either that or you're a liar! Be gone! I have not the time!"

Kuni backed up even more and then... He ran away!

Goku: "Kuni, wait!"

Kuni: "I-I'm not Susano's real son... I'm not Nagi's descendent..."

And Kuni was gone like that, leaving poor Goku alone.

Goku: "Come back, Kuni! I can't do this alone!"

Master Anura: "Gya-gyah-gyah! *Croak*"

Although Goku had no hope of winning alone, he still had to try. Like all saiyans, he'd rather die trying than running away!

Goku: "I'll fight you, ya overfed toad!"

Master Anura: "Then what are you waiting for, little one?"

And the fight began! Goku was seriously outmatched in both size and power! Master Anura could swallow him whole if he wanted to! The best Goku could do is keep hitting him with his Divine Instrument. He also had to avoid Master Anura's head whenever the giant toad tried to squish him with his massive head! Master Anura's tongue was another thing to avoid. Suddenly, the giant toad started sucking in the air! Goku dug his feet and hands into the ground and held on! As he held on, he tried to think of what Vegeta might do if he was in this situation. The young saiyan thought back to all the battles he had seen Vegeta fight in. He suddenly noticed a pattern. If his enemy used mostly close ranged attacks, Vegeta often stayed at a distance and used long ranged attacks. Master Anura used mostly short ranged, so Goku used Power Slash to attack him! The toad stopped trying to suck him in and that gave Goku the opening to get closer. He kept attacking until, finally, Master Anura dove under the water. A few seconds later and he leaped out of the stream and up into the air! He disappeared for a short time before he started coming down. Goku suddenly noticed the toad's oversized belly button! That was his weakness! Goku quickly summoned the scroll and used Power Slash on that massive belly button! That did it! Master Anura fell back into the water and came up seconds later looking sick. He turned around and then barfed up one of the fruits he had taken from the Guardian Sapling.

Master Anura: "Not bad. Not bad at all! You made me throw up the fruit I ripped from the Guardian Sapling's roots! *Croak!*"

It seemed hopeless for Goku. Master Anura was too powerful for him to take on alone. But then... Help arrived! Or actually, came back.

Goku: "Kuni!"

Master Anura: "What!?"

Kuni came back and he was on the other side of the stream.

Kuni: "Mutt! Oh, man, I'm so sorry! I shouldn't have left you like that. I wanted everyone to think Susano was my dad... That's why I tried to imitate the way he talks and acts. But I realized... I realized it doesn't matter who my father is! I'm gonna fight by your side, Mutt! It's my actions that show I'm Susano's son!"

Goku: "Yes! I knew you weren't a coward, Kuni!"

Master Anura and Goku both watched as Kuni tried to lift the fruit which had turned to stone in the toad's belly. As he tried to lift it up, he was surrounded by an energy field.

Goku: "C'mon, Kuni! I know you can do it!"

Master Anura: "You? You can't even hope to hurt me! *Croak*"

Kuni: "Yes, I can! I'm Kuni, son of Susano, the greatest warrior ever!"

And the energy field surrendered to Kuni!

Master Anura: "*Crooak!?*"

Goku: "Yes, I knew you could do it!"

Kuni: "Mutt! I don't know what to do with this ball! Guide me!"

Goku: "You got it, partner!"

As the giant toad looked on, Goku guided Kuni to the roots at the far right. While Kuni followed the path, Goku kept Master Anura at bay! Finally, Kuni placed the fruit back in its proper place. The power that Master Anura had taken from the fruit was taken back by the Guardian Sapling! He was weaker now but the battle was far from over! He still had two fruits within him.

Master Anura: "Ha-ha! I can live without a fruit or two! And this fight isn't over yet! *Croak, croak!* Now, my children- come to me! *CROAAAAK!*"

The giant toad started to croak a song. At each end of his side, Goku saw spawn points appear, and with them, more Red Toads! Goku kept his attacks up relentlessly, not giving Master Anura many chances to attack himself! Finally, with a good Power Slash, Master Anura dove down into the water again. He leaped up again and Goku waited for the right moment to attack. When that belly button was in view, Goku slashed it with Power Slash again! The toad fell into the water and popped up again to spit out another fruit. While Master Anura was dazed, Goku guided Kuni to the fruit. When Kuni picked up the fruit, Master Anura came to. Goku guided his friend to the roots in the center and held the toad off until the fruit was back in its place. The Guardian Sapling took back the power the toad had stolen from its fruit. Now Master Anura was on his last legs! The giant toad summoned more Red Toads and attacked Goku repeatedly! But the young saiyan has already won. He knew the toad's weakness, attacks, and how to avoid them. When Master Anura was driven down into the water a third time, he tried something different. He came up with a Bone Clam clamped around his belly button. But that didn't stop Goku. He used bloom to open the shell and expose the giant toad's belly button! After getting Power Slashed again, Master Anura threw up the last fruit he had stolen. While he was out, Goku guided Kuni to the fruit. When Kuni gets the fruit, he is guided to the roots at the far left. While Kuni took the fruit over to the roots, Goku held Master Anura off for as long as he could. Finally, the last fruit was returned. The tree took back what belonged to it and that was the final blow to Master Anura.

Master Anura: "*Croak, croak!?* I-Impossible...! Nyargh! M-My power...! I can't... *Croak!*"

Master Anura bellowed out a last cry. As he did, he bellowed out a massive cloud of darkness. Suddenly, something came and sucked up the darkness expelled from the dying toad. When the mysterious creature left, something shined in its place. It suddenly came hurling towards Kuni!

Goku: "Kuni, watch out!"

Kuni caught the item. It was the mirror.

Kuni: "Yesss! We did it! We got the mirror back!"

Goku: "We did it!"

Kuni hugged Goku and they danced with joy!

Kuni: "Thanks, Mutt! I couldn't have done it without you! Well, you know what this means? We won! We won! Yaaaaay!"

And with that, Goku did what Vegeta did after a victorious battle. He threw back his head and howled in victory!


End file.
